Employers invited to take on reformed drug users

Government substance abuse agency Sedqa yesterday appealed to employers to continue taking on rehabilitated drug-users.

It was reacting to a letter in The Times from a man who said he had employed a person arraigned on drug charges. The employee later admitted to robbing his workplace.

"It would be sad if other possible employers of ex-drug users resisted employing these people. It would only mean that instead of helping them reintegrate into society they will be making it easier for them to return to where they started," Sedqa told The Times.

"All human beings differ. So one cannot generalise in this case of ex-drug users, in the same way as one would not generalise on the basis of race, religion, or in the case of former prison inmates, etc."

Statistics show that almost half of the 958 clients attending the substance misuse out-patients unit (Detox Centre) in 2003 were in full employment, Sedqa said yesterday.

"Although there is a percentage of drug users who resort to criminality to sustain their habit, this definitely is not the case with the majority," it said.

Sedqa made an important point: Those who unfortunately get involved in criminal activities are probably individuals who do not have gainful employment and who may resort to criminality to sustain their addiction.

The agency offers various types of rehabilitation programmes tailor-made to the different needs of different substance abusers, mainly community, residential and maintenance programmes. Substance abusers who make use of these services are supported and encouraged to find employment. Clients following this harm reduction programme are assisted to lead a stabilised life so they would be able to keep a job.

Those following a residential programme at Kommunitá Santa Marija are assisted and prepared with skills to find employment once they finish the programme.

A representative of the Employment and Training Corporation also prepares the clients who are about to finish their rehabilitation programme, making it easier for them to be employable.

An assessment helps them become aware what job is best for them. Every day, available vacancies are monitored and passed on to the clients, who are then called for interviews and follow the same procedures as everyone else.

Usually, clients at Kommunitá Santa Marija have a job within a month of the end of their rehabilitation programme. Some have their own contacts or even a previous employer willing to give them a job once they are out of the programme.

The intensive residential rehabilitation programme is structured in four phases: Merhba (Welcome), Formazzjoni (Formation), Sfida (Challenge) and Aftercare. It is designed for adults with a long and severe history of drug dependency and aims to provide treatment to individuals who wish to lead a drug-free life and who are willing or need to make far-reaching changes in their way of thinking, behaving and relating to others.

Merhba and Formazzjoni last one year in all and are fully residential; Sfida is semi-residential and takes five months to complete while Aftercare is offered to all clients who have completed the programme successfully.

Once a person concludes the programme, be it on a residential or a community level, they are rehabilitated and can go back into society. "If given the chance, this person will function without the need to resort to any criminal behaviour," Sedqa said. "However, this can only be done with the full support of the family and society at large, combined with an Aftercare programme, which helps the ex-users to maintain their achieved abstinence.

"The majority who finish their rehabilitation programme are trustworthy, exemplary, hard workers, mainly stemming from the fact that they need to work harder to prove themselves and overcome the stigma that follows them."

A client does not need to divulge to his employer that he has had a drug problem. It usually depends on the trust between the employer and the employee.

"A person with a history of substance abuse has no obligation to inform the employer of that history, unless asked. Of course, if there has been a criminal record, this would be included in the conduct, which several employers ask for," Sedqa said.

When they start looking for employment, the clients find it as difficult as everyone else, depending on what skills they have and what qualifications and experience they managed to get before their life turned chaotic due to substance misuse.

"Certain employers still find it a problem to recruit someone who had a history of substance abuse. Even though the stigma decreased in the last few years, one cannot say that it's not present any more. This only makes it harder for the individual who is willing enough to start his life anew," Sedqa said.

Sedqa offers care services within the community and in residential settings.

People requiring help regarding problems related to substance abuse can be referred, refer themselves to these services or access more information by calling Helpline 151 or by visiting the agency's website.

Letter from Brian

I am Brian,* an ex-drug user. I used cocaine, cannabis, LSD a few times and once I even used heroin.

My problems started when I was just seven, when my family broke up and I ended up responsible for myself and my younger brothers. I had no one to guide me when I was growing up and life felt twice as hard.

Instead of pointing me in the right direction, I found people who abused me and my innocence. I am sure that today those people are paying their price in guilt but they have never been brought to justice and they are people we live and work with everyday.

At the age of 12, I started hanging out with a group that I thought accepted me but the truth is that we were all escaping reality. They too had problems. We smoked, drank, sometimes excessively, and smoked cannabis.

As I grew older, I started using heavier drugs and met a lot of people who used substances, from high positions to the lowest positions possible in society. Some people I knew in my drug life are not with us anymore today.

Once I was "lucky" and was caught with an amount of drugs and was arraigned. In the meantime, I went to prison. From there I found help to start a rehabilitation programme, which I completed successfully, thanks to Sedqa. I did my year of residential programme and then started working. I told my boss that I am an ex-user and that I had a pending court case but made my wish clear: I wanted my place back in society.

He accepted me and trained me. The job he gave me needed a responsible person. I never abused the trust I was given and was loyal to my boss.

Time passed and my court sentence loomed. When the day came, my boss was there for me, telling the judge he needed me and that I was a trustworthy and changed person.

Still, I had to pay my dues to society and I went to prison again. But I never used drugs again. My family is still broken and problems still appear but now I have learned to direct myself in a positive and simple way and to accept myself as I am.

Now I do feel lucky, especially having quit the habit. I don't need substances, I now face reality. Sometimes I am up, another time down. When there is a down and I live through it, I feel I have won.

I have almost completed my prison term now and have a job. I'm integrating back slowly into society and mix with other people.

Maybe sometimes you and I spoke, my friend.

Failures are learning experiences but the real failure is when you do not learn anything from the mistakes you make and when you don't appreciate the effort someone is making to help you.

Life is beautiful and once, at least once, everyone should have a chance. And by not giving a chance at least once, life could end up in a mess again.

With this letter, I would like to thank the whole chain of people who helped me and gave me the chance to live again.

*Brian is not his real name.

Experience

An employer, who wishes to remain anonymous, was initially approached by Sedqa staff, who were seeking out possible vacancies for clients who were in the last phase of their residential rehabilitation programme.

The first person he recruited with a history of drug abuse was Brian*.This fact was kept confidential, mainly to protect the new recruit from prejudice.

The employer describes this experience as "very positive" and "fantastic" due to the outstanding performance by this particular employee. So much so that he took on other recruits, who were all required to do very responsible jobs.

"Not only were they keen to learn but they also did a remarkable job and were even indispensable when they came to train other members of staff," the employer said.

The first person he employed with a history of substance abuse unfortunately had a prison sentence to serve but the employer did not stop there and still employs such people for he believes that, if given a chance, they are trustworthy and reliable.

"I wouldn't think twice about referring them to other employers, based on the remarkable performance these people showed and still show while working in my company.

"It has also made me change my own perspective towards ex-drug users."

*Brian is a fictitious name.

www.sedqa.org.mt